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Adventures Out
Discover Boston: Again + Again
Sometimes we forget that Boston is filled with so many historic and cultural sites. We forget, that is, until out-of-state relatives come to visit. Don’t wait until the second cousins come to acquaint - or re-acquaint your family with all that Beantown has to offer. Here are some great ways to get a unique overview of the city.
Boston Duck Tours
See the sights from an entirely different perspective: by street and waterway on a World War II amphibious landing vehicles. You can board a Duck Tour at two different locations: at the Museum of Science and the Prudential Center.
The “conducktors” on these neat vehicles know how to give you snippets of fascinating history or curious pieces of trivia without sounding like a textbook. While they're pointing out famous landmarks, they'll also teach you about filibusters, the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, the landfill that became Back Bay, and such remarkable characters as socialite Isabella Stewart Gardner and politician James Michael Curley.
Plus, while driving through rush hour traffic and weaving around lost and misguided tourists, the conducktors never utter colorful curse words like the local drivers do - they "quack" and encourage their passengers to do the same. Partway through the trip, the Duck splashes into the Charles River for a water and skyline view of Boston and Cambridge. Here’s where a lucky passenger or two will get the chance to actually steer the vehicle.
The Freedom Trail
Head for the Boston Common Visitor’s Information Center on Tremont Street, grab a map of the Freedom Trail, and follow that red painted line all the way to the end. Over 2.5 miles, you’ll come across 16 officially marked sites, from old churches and burial spots to landmarks of freedom, commerce, and politics.
No doubt you’ve already ventured to some of the sites, such as Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, and The USS Constitution (or “Old Ironsides”). But take a moment to stand in front of the Old State House, site of the Boston Massacre in 1770. Take a peek inside the Old South Meeting House where the colonists debated before tossing those infamous crates of tea into the harbor in 1773. Visit the Old North Church, where the lanterns in the steeple signaled that the British were coming. The Freedom Trail Foundation offers tours for a fee, including holiday strolls with costumed guides. The National Park Service also offers free walking tours of the downtown sections of the Freedom Trail.
Boston by Foot
A walking tour of Boston specifically tailored to children? You bet. Boston by Little Feet offers an hour-long tour for kids ages 6-12 and their parents, with highlights about important buildings along the Freedom Trail, tidbits from history, details on topics that most appearl to kids: the grasshopper that graces the weathervane atop Faneuil Hall, the lion and unicorn on the side of the Old State House (symbols of the royal government in London), the Democrat donkey statue, and the story of Boston-born Benjamin Franklin and his kite.
Boston by Foot also offers other tours that meander around Beacon Hill, the North End, Victorian Back Bay, and a literary trail. Though not recommended for children, Beacon Hill with a Boo! is a special Halloween night tour, when the trick-or-treaters roam the streets, jack’o’lanterns glow, and the houses are adorned with cobwebs. It’s great fun!
Atop the Pru
For a bird’s eye view of Boston and beyond, visit the Skywalk Observatory on the 50th floor of the Prudential Center (800 Boylston Street). Although no longer the highest building in the cityscape, the Pru does offer a magnificent 360-degree panorama, from the Atlantic coastline, the Zakim Bridge, the John Hancock Tower, and the Customs House to the crooked and narrow streets of Boston. While there, listen to an audio tour detailing many of the historic and cultural sites you see, and get an up-close look at the city in the multimedia movie theater. Then explore the Dreams of Freedom Immigration Museum.
Atop Breeds Hill
For a different perspective, climb the 295 steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument on Breeds Hill in Charlestown. (There’s no elevator, but it’s free.) The obelisk commemorates the first major battle of the American Revolution. We lost that battle, but won the war. From its 221-foot height, you’ll see some fine views. Afterwards, visit the new Battle of Bunker Hill Museum across the street, which is part of the Freedom Trail.
Watching the World Go By
Besides art and history, shopping and fine dining, Boston is also a great spot for people watching. Sit down on a park bench at the Boston Public Gardens. Find an outdoor café on Newbury Street. Relax on the grass on the Charles River Esplanade. Boston may be an old city in the new world, but it is a vibrant and diverse place to explore - and re-explore.
(BPP PHDG, 2008)
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© 2003-2008 Robin C. Mason, WordsWorth2
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